


Tiny Dancer

by LovesaHEA0303



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 00:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15829935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovesaHEA0303/pseuds/LovesaHEA0303
Summary: This is a follow up to the story The Meaning of a Miracle. If it looks familiar it's because it is.  I have recently edited the original and have re-posted it. I needed to make a few changes so that it would fit with the rest of the Celestial Baby series that I am now working on.Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments before. Hopefully you'll enjoy this version just as much!This is a songfic inspired by Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' I took some liberties with the order of the song lyrics as they best fit what I was writing.Insert Disclaimer here: If you recognize it, it's not mine. I am just borrowing someone else's toys and I will return them to the shelf (relatively unharmed) when I am finished with them).Thank you to my Twitter tribe!!! I love you all!Charlotte is six months old and sick.  What's a Devil to do with a screaming infant and a wife who is dealing with her own illness?  Also take a peek into the future of our little family.Not sure if this is necessary, but TRIGGER WARNING for Postpartum depression





	Tiny Dancer

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I am using knowledge of Postpartum depression that I have garnered from my best friend who just experienced it with her second full term pregnancy and daughter's birth. She was doing great taking care of her two beautiful babies and then one day she just felt so overwhelmed that she couldn't do anything. Thankfully, after some strong encouragement from her wonderful hubby, myself and her mother she saw the doctor and found out what was going on. Her case wasn't nearly as severe as she originally thought. In fact she had the opportunity to meet other moms while in therapy. Some were struggling to the point that they had to be hospitalized and medicated; women who were teachers, lawyers, business owners, stay at home moms.
> 
> I have never had children, but I have had depression and anxiety since I was 11. I realize they are not the same and I am in no way sensationalizing any type of depression or anxiety. This is strictly for fictional purposes. 
> 
> What I am trying to achieve here in having Chloe deal with Postpartum is to show that even someone who is smart, put together, a great mom, who has a great job, a loving supportive partner and seemingly everything they could ever need can still suffer from postpartum depression. 
> 
> If any of my readers feel like there is something missing in my development of the illness that I've mentioned or you just feel like I'm way off base, please kindly message me and I will be more than happy to make changes to the story.

Charlotte Morningstar was always a very good baby. Thankfully she had her mother's easy-going temperament and unlike her father, she didn't always enjoy being the center of attention. As an infant, Charlotte rarely fussed, unless she was hungry, and her mother couldn’t get her shirt open fast enough. The only time she ever full on cried was when she was sick or teething. Those times had been more challenging than the sleep training everyone had warned The Devil about.

Chloe was exhausted, as she bounced a hysterical six-month-old Charlotte in her arms. “Shh baby it’s going to be okay.”

Chloe and Lucifer had been up with their daughter all night until Lucifer had finally convinced their pediatrician that there was something wrong with their child that required a house call. Chloe had insisted that they could just take her to the doctor in the morning, but then the baby spiked a fever and she was grateful for Lucifer’s persistence. After a diagnosis of a double ear infection and a dose of fever reducer, Lucifer was off to the twenty-four-hour pharmacy.

“Daddy will be back with your medicine soon.” Chloe held the baby close to her chest and switched from bouncing to swaying, but nothing seemed to soothe her daughter. This wasn’t the first time she had to deal with a sick infant. Trixie had had her share of illnesses as a baby as well, but she never recalled Trixie being quite so difficult to calm. Of course, there was an eleven-year age gap between her two children. Maybe she was just too tired to remember?

The sound of Lucifer running up the stairs had her nearly in tears. She was so grateful that he was home. He'd been gone for an hour and Chloe was going out of her mind. The overwhelming feeling brought on by their screaming infant had begun to echo the symptoms of postpartum depression she had been battling since just a few months earlier. Thankfully with therapy and support from her husband, family and doctor, she was doing much better.

Right now, though it was Lucifer who was keeping her from spinning into chaos. She had come to rely on him, not only as her partner at work, but in everything they did especially when it came to Charlotte. Sometimes she felt guilty for leaning on him, but he never faltered. He was her rock.

Lucifer entered the nursery pharmacy bag in hand. “I’m so sorry darling, there was an issue with the dosage and then the bloody pharmacist took forever to mix the liquid,” he explained. He was dressed in a t-shirt and his pajama pants something he would never have gone out in public wearing if it weren’t for his three girls.

Chloe shook her head and took a breath. “It's okay. Everything is going to be fine now,” she said trying to hide the emotion from her voice.” _Breathe Chloe, Breathe._ She focused on the last time she had meditated with Linda to tamper down some of the anxiety she was experiencing.

Lucifer took the medicine out of the bag as well as a small dropper. “The pharmacist said to give this pink liquid to her every eight hours and continue giving her the fever reducer every four to six.” Everyday he was learning something new about caring for their tiny dark haired human.

Chloe nodded mechanically and looked at Lucifer tears in her eyes. “Okay, we can handle that, can’t we Charlotte?”

Charlotte’s response was to wail as though it were the end of the world.

Chloe felt like a horrible mother. Her daughter was crying and in pain and she was unable to soothe her. She could do this. She could take care of her baby and not question every choice and decision she made. She was successful with keeping Trixie clean, fed, healthy and happy. Trixie turned out okay, didn’t she? Why was Charlotte any different?  

Lucifer saw Chloe start to fall apart and he remembered that the best course of action was to immediately step in and give her a break. When the doctor at Chloe’s short-term treatment center had told him that he would be taking over a large part of Charlotte’s care until Chloe felt better, Lucifer was overwhelmed himself. He tried to convince the doctor that a nanny would be more helpful. The doctor insisted- no nanny, that things needed to stay as normal as possible in the house during Chloe’s recovery. He suggested Lucifer take regular parenting classes which he attended reluctantly in the beginning, but came to find out he really enjoyed. He even made some new friends. He also really enjoyed the one on one time he got to spend with both Trixie and Charlotte.

“Here, love let me take her. You go get some rest,” he insisted.

The first few times after coming home, Chloe argued when Lucifer offered to help. Charlotte was her baby.  She grew inside her for nine months. She wanted to be the one taking care of her. The harsh reality of the matter was, she just couldn’t right now. “Are you sure?” she still asked permission to take space for herself. It was something she was working on.

“Of course, darling. I'll give Charlotte her medicine and stay with her until she settles.”

Chloe kissed Charlotte's soft dark hair before handing her over. “It could be awhile until she calms down.  I’ve never heard her scream like this before,” she twisted the rings on the finger of her left hand and glanced at the one on her husband’s.

They hadn’t been married very long, but she so happy to be Mrs. Morningstar. If only her body, hormones and brain could get back to normal, maybe then she might be able to spend time with her husband and enjoy being married.

 “Maybe I should just stay in the room and help you with her medicine.”

Lucifer cradled Charlotte in one arm and wrapped his other arm around his wife “Go to bed, love,” he gently asserted.  “I can handle giving our daughter a little medicine, and the screaming. Have you forgotten that I am the former Lord of Hell?” He tried to lighten the mood with a grin. “Charlotte is just trying to prove she has my stamina and your lungs.”

Chloe managed a smile. _Taking care of you means you are better equipped to take care of her._ “Okay but if you need me for anything, anything at all...”

“Well I do currently lack the ability to feed her, so I will be seeking you out for that in a few hours,” He chuckled looking down at his chest.

“Right.” Chloe wiped her face with the sleeve of her pajama top. “I'll see you in a few hours.” She kissed Lucifer quickly, dropped a kiss on a crying Charlotte’s head and then headed out of the room. She hated to leave them, but she knew that Lucifer was more than capable of taking care of Charlotte. He had been amazing with her since she was born and even more so since she’d had her breakdown a few months ago. Lucifer was an amazing Daddy. She climbed into bed snuggling down under the covers that smelled of a comforting scent she could only describe as being her husband and closed her eyes.

Once Lucifer was alone with Charlotte, he set her down for a moment in her crib so that he could measure out her medicine.

“Alright now my little love, the idea of taking this pink liquid probably isn't enticing but the doctor says it what you need to make the nasty infection in your ears go away. So how about if you take it, Daddy will buy you a pony?”

He scooped her back up into the cradle of his arm and brought the dropper to her scrunched up red tear stained face. Thankfully, the infant took the medication with little resistance.

“There. That wasn’t too terribly awful, was it?” he set the dropper down on the changing table and stroked Charlotte’s hair. She seemed to finally be calming down.  “What kind of pony would you like?”

Charlotte started to howl once more. Lucifer moved to the glider in the corner. Pony discussion forgotten.

 “I know you are in a great deal of discomfort my love, now what can Daddy do to make it better hmm? Would you like a lullaby Charlotte?”

His only answer was another round of sharp piercing cries. He sat back in the chair, doing his best to make the sick infant comfortable in his arms and began to sing softly.

_Blue Jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band_  
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man   
Ballerina, you must have seen her, dancing in the sand  
And now she’s in me, always with me,  
tiny dancer in my hand

His smooth voice filled the room as he rocked Charlotte.

_Piano man he makes a stand_  
In the auditorium   
Looking on she sings the songs  
The words she knows, the tune she hums

_Hold me closer, tiny dancer_  
Count the headlights on the highway  
Lay me down in sheets of linen  
You had a busy day today

As Lucifer sang, the baby's cries turned into whimpers. “That’s better isn’t it? Shall I continue, little love? Is that what you desire?” he moved her to his shoulder and gently rubbed her back.

_Blue Jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band_  
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man  
Ballerina, you must have seen her, dancing in the sand  
And now she’s in me, always with me,  
tiny dancer in my hand

Soon Charlotte was fast asleep lulled into calm by her father's song. Lucifer held her a little while longer just enjoying the feeling of her in his arms.

_Hold me closer, tiny dancer_  
Count the headlights on the highway  
Lay me down in sheets of linen   
You had a busy day today

Lucifer settled Charlotte in her crib humming his lullaby as he lay her down. He then went into his room to check on Chloe who was pretending to be asleep.

He slid under the covers and drew his wife towards him. 

“A pony, huh?”

Lucifer chuckled. “It’s worked with the Spawn and chocolate cake.”

“Lucifer.” Chloe laid her head on his chest.

He stroked her hair. “Hmm, yes darling?”

“Thank you for being such an amazing father to our girls.”

Before he could respond, Chloe had fallen asleep, safe in the comfort of his arms. He had wanted to tell her that she was every bit if not more of an amazing mother to their girls, but she wasn’t ready to hear it. Not yet.

 

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

 

 

6 years passed. Tiny dancer became Charlotte’s song. Lucifer sang it to her whenever she was sick (which wasn’t very often) sad (also not very often) or just because.

 

“Daddddy!!!!” Charlotte came running into the house as fast as her little legs could carry her; her big sister Trixie who was wearing headphones and her mother the newest police lieutenant at the L.A.P.D trailing behind.

“Careful baby.” Chloe advised as she made her way into the house. Charlotte had yet to show any signs of celestial gifts, but their little girl was always full of energy and excitement. She also shared her father’s traits of confidence and boldness.

Lucifer who was standing in the kitchen making dinner turned around just in time to catch the dark curly haired little bundle of energy who was still dressed in her leotard and tights from dance class. “Hello little love. Did you have a good day?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “I got a hundred and five on my spelling test, we got a new class pet, he's a chinchilla that I convinced everyone to name Steven and I got a new book to read!”

“Sounds like you’ve had quite the day, my darling Charlotte.” He picked her up settling her on his hip.

Chloe rummaged through her younger daughter's back pack and proudly showed her husband their Charlotte's test.” She then kissed Lucifer in greeting.

The Devil kissed his wife back sweetly before turning back to their daughter who was making a disgusted face.

“Eww kissing," Charlotte cringed.

Chloe laughed. “Eww? You think kissing is eww? Huh?” she immediately took Charlotte from Lucifer and began kissing all over her face.

“Daddy save me!!!” she cried out dramatically. Their daughter also shared Lucifer’s flare for the dramatics.

“Daddy can’t save you now!” Chloe whisked their daughter out of the kitchen to get her washed up for dinner.

Trixie who was going to be 17 in just a few months, snuck over to the stove where dinner was cooking, and lifted the lid on Lucifer’s homemade alfredo sauce.

“Don't even think about it, Spawn.” He told Beatrice. 

Trixie removed her headphones and tried her best to look innocent. “What? I just wanted to see what was for dinner.”

“Which you have now seen and will not be sticking your fingers in. Did you receive a grade for your algebra final yet?”

Trixie bit her lower lip.

Lucifer sighed. “Beatrice. We worked so hard on that material, even Daniel and Ella helped you to study. You knew it like the back of your hand.”

Trixie pulled a piece of folded up paper. “Which is why I totally aced it!” she informed him with a grin. “Chill Dadifer. You’re going to get gray hairs”. she laughed and hugged him.

Lucifer shook his head. He thought about going gray to match Chloe when she started to show advanced age someday. He would look distinguished for sure. However, while his youngest was currently just six years old didn’t seem like the time to go gray. Chloe didn’t even look like she was in her early forties.

Trixie rolled her eyes in a way that reminded Lucifer of his wife. “I’m going to go Skype Dad and Ella and let them know I brought my grade up.”

Lucifer nodded. “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Tell Ella and Daniel I said hello.”

Trixie left the kitchen with a dismissive wave.

“Teenagers,” he muttered to himself.

Charlotte came running back into the room, Chloe following her. “Daddy can I help you with dinner? My hands are clean,” she held them up for his inspection.

“Well I suppose I could use a sous chef.” Lucifer handed the six-year-old a spoon and set her on the counter away from the stove to stir grilled chicken and broccoli into the sauce while he strained the pasta.

“My name is not Sue. It’s Charlotte. I’m your Charlotte chef.”

Chloe chuckled. Charlotte was also witty and smart. She’d like to think the intelligence came from her.

“My Charlotte chef then.” Lucifer then put on some music on the home audio system in the kitchen. Charlotte’s song immediately filled the room. The little family sang as they moved about the kitchen.

_Hold me closer tiny dancer_  
Count the headlights on the highway   
Lay me down on sheets of linen  
You’ve had a busy day today

“Trixie, come set the table please!” Chloe made her way towards the fridge to grab drinks only to be pulled into her husband's arms.

“Hello Mr. Morningstar," she laughed in surprise

 “Hello Mrs. Lt. Morningstar.” Chloe’s face lit up as they danced around the kitchen.

“Is this a celebration dance?” she laughed.

“No that happens later after the children have gone to bed.” Lucifer grinned.

_Blue Jean baby L.A lady seamstress for the band_  
Pretty eyed, pirate smile you'll marry a music man  
Ballerina you must have seen her, dancing in the sand  
Now she’s in me always with me  
tiny dancer in my hand

“Children are present now. Please try not to scar us too badly,” Trixie reminded them.

She then looked at Charlotte who was smiling happily at her parents and shook her head. Their mom and Lucifer had been together for 8 years and married for nearly six. They still managed to act like they did when she was 9 and they first started making goo-goo eyes at each other. She loved having Lucifer for a step-father just as much as she loved having Ella as a step mom. Their family was anything but traditional. Both her parents remarried and had more kids (her Dad and Ella were currently expecting twin boys), but Trixie wouldn’t change a thing. 

Lucifer released Chloe and reached for Trixie. 

“Dadifer…” At first Trixie shook her head. She was too old to dance with Lucifer in the kitchen, wasn’t she? Then she remembered that life was short, and no one was guaranteed tomorrow. She accepted her Step-Devil's hand and let him lead her around the kitchen.

_Piano man he makes his stand_  
In the auditorium   
Looking on she sings the songs  
The words she knows the tunes she hums

Chloe helped Charlotte down from the counter and held her for a moment swaying to the music before setting her back on her feet. She couldn’t believe her girls were getting so big. Trixie would be graduating high school and going off to college soon and Charlotte, well her elementary school days were just beginning.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Lucifer swapped partners once more this time taking Charlotte, his tiny dancer into his arms. She grabbed her father's hands tightly and placed her small feet still in ballet shoes on top of his larger ones.

_But oh how it feels so real_  
Lying here with no one here  
Only you and you can hear me  
When I say softly, slowly

Father and daughter sang together as they knew the song by heart. Thankfully, Charlotte had her father’s singing voice and not hers. Chloe stood by the kitchen island her eyes shining with unshed tears. This was her family, her daughters and husband, The Devil.

_Hold me closer tiny dancer_  
Count the headlights on the highway  
Lay me down in sheets of linen   
You’ve had a busy day today

Lucifer twirled Charlotte around the kitchen as the song ended. She hugged her father's legs tightly and climbed down off his feet.

“Let's eat.” Lucifer lead Charlotte over to the dinner table as the song changed to one of her favorite Disney classics.

“Be Our Guest Daddy!” Charlotte bopped her head along to the music as she ate her dinner.

Lucifer sang along dramatically of course making sure to hit every word with flourish. It was worth it, just to see the excited look on Charlotte’s face and even the not so entertained one on Trixie’s.

Chloe noticed the smile on Lucifer's face and the way his eyes lit up whenever they were all together.

 She may or may not have caught him using a dish towel to wipe his eyes later that night when the dishes were cleared and it was just the two of them having a glass of wine and catching up about their day, but just like the night she had first heard him sing to Charlotte, dancing in their kitchen was a memory she would carry in her heart throughout the years.

 


End file.
